Inheritor

Within some of us lies the blood of heroes who have long since passed. An inheritor can awaken the genetic memory of a martial hero into his own body and gains skill not through hours of physical practice, but through communion with his ancestor's memories. Genetic memory, locked within the DNA of an inheritor, allows him to tap into information and skills he could not hope to master on his own.

Initially, an inheritor may need the aid of a spiritual entity, ancient texts, magical rituals, or mind-altering drugs to call forth the memories his ancestry hides. Once he crosses that threshold, his ancestor’s presence lingers in his mind, just out of the mental reach of the inheritor. As the inheritor becomes stronger, he can tap into the strengths and memories of his ancestor on a deeper and deeper level.

Inheritors are prevalent in societies where ancestor worship is prominent. In such cultures, an inheritor may serve as an interpreter of divine will or fill other duties related to the worship of ancestors. Strong bloodlines are required for an inheritor to call forth an ancestor to live in his memory and noble blood often proves easier to awaken than others.

Inheritors, in addition to their ancestor’s influence, often grow into powerful fighters and political figures in their own right. They are often simultaneously aided and overshadowed by their connection to the past; they must forge their own destiny or forever walk in the footsteps of the giant who came before them.

Hit Dice: D10.

Role: Inheritors are martial characters with the ability to destroy their enemies with skills learned from the legendary figures in their ancestry.

Natural Gift: An inheritor must be able to claim an unbroken lineage to a great martial hero of old. This legendary ancestors should be drawn from the world’s lore (“I am Nōwe, son of Daeron, son of Ecthelion- the first king of the elves, unifier of the Lost Lands and Warden of the Southern Isles.”) and should be recognizable to any historian. This connects the character to a very specific individual who they can channel. An inheritor must be no more than three or four generations removed from their ancestor and be able to draw a direct connection to them.

Many characters enter into the class upon the revelation of their ancestors if it was previously unknown to them. Others are born into it, having the full benefit of being raised in an environment where people know his lineage. This may afford them boons such as noble titles, great wealth, positions of power, family trappings, or other such things that come with a prominent ancestor.

Trapping: Most commonly an inheritor selects a weapon with a connection to his ancestor. If he does not literally wield the same weapon from history, an inheritor is often drawn to weapons (or armor) similar in design to those used by his ancestor. Other times, symbols, office, or an iconic item their ancestor used is selected by an inheritor.

Connection to Sorcerors

Like a sorcerer, an inheritor draws his strength from a connection to his ancestors. While a sorcerer’s bloodline literally manifests as magic abilities and physical changes, an inheritor’s skill comes from genetic memory. In simple terms, mechanically an inheritor is a martial sorcerer.

Alignment: Any

Inheritors are subtly influenced by their ancestors to conform to the alignment they had in life. If an inheritor’s bloodline is one filled with woe and tyrants they will likely fall to an evil alignment. An inheritor that channels a benevolent warrior-king may find himself pushed towards a lawful good alignment. An inheritor may resist this change, but doing so may hamper his ability to connect with his ancestors.

Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

At 1st level and every 3 levels thereafter, the inheritor learns from the genetic memory of the ancient warrior from his bloodline and gains sacred knowledge from them. This grants him one of the boons listed in his lineage class feature. A given boon may only be taken once. Alternatively an inheritor can gain a combat feat using his inheritor level as his effective fighter level for the purpose of meeting prerequisite. He must otherwise meet all prerequisites of the feat.

An inheritor only gains this boon or combat feat while channeling their ancestor.

By tapping into his genetic memory of a hero from his ancestors, an inheritor can manifest some of the latent skill and ability of this great warrior. He may channel his ancestor as a swift action. This enters him into an altered mental state where he is communing with the memories and abilities locked away in his DNA. He may remain in this state for 1 minute per inheritor level per day. These minutes need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1 minute intervals. Stopping channeling is a free action and automatically ceases if the inheritor has been unconscious for at least one round.

While channeling his ancestor, several changes may come over the inheritor. His demeanor and expression may change, his voice may alter, and his body language may even shift. This does not alter the physical appearance, only change the way it is utilized (you don’t change the puppet, just the man pulling the strings). While aspects of the ancestor’s personality emerge, they add no memories or other facets of the original mind.

A benevolent ancestor is someone who acted with kindness and sought to better the lives of others. Their influence pushes an inheritor to better himself and strive to commit great acts of kindness. Benevolent ancestors were generally of a good alignment.

A wicked ancestor is one who acted with cruelty and maleficence and sought to cause pain in the lives of others. They influence their descendants to commit debauched acts of cruelty and inflict pain whenever they go. Wicked ancestors were generally of an evil alignment.

Class Skills: Intimidate and Bluff

Boons

Wicked Ways: The inheritor gains an insight bonus on Intimidate checks equal to 1/2 his inheritor level (minimum +1) and treats Intimidate as a class skill.

Know Thy Own: The inheritor gains the ability to mimic the effects of detect evil at will as a mundane effect.

Bloodshed: Add 1 round to the duration of any bleed effect and 1 damage to any amount of bleed damage you cause.

Ready for War: The inheritor becomes proficient with all martial weapons, with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and tower shields as well as 3 exotic weapons of his choice.

Cruelty: The inheritor can choose before he rolls his attack roll, to take 1 point of damage to add 1/4th his inheritor level to the amount of damage he deals with melee weapons. He may elect to take this damage each time he makes an attack to gain the bonus to damage on that attack. This damage is multiplied on a critical hit.

Wolf Among Sheep: The inheritor is constantly under the effect of an undetectable alignment spell, though it is mundane in origin. For the purpose of this spell the inheritor’s effective caster level is equal to his inheritor level.

A fair ancestor was concerned with the fair application of the law, non-discriminatory policies, and equality of all things. A fair ancestor will caution his inheritor to temper his actions and not act rashly. They expect them to keep things fair and just. Fair ancestors generally were of the neutral (often true neutral) and/or lawful alignments.

Hereditary Ability Score: Charisma

Class Skills: Knowledge (local) and Sense Motive

Boons

Law of the Land: The inheritor gains an insight bonus on Knowledge (local) and Sense Motive checks equal to 1/4th his inheritor level (minimum +1).

Wiseman: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Wisdom score.

Truth Detector: The inheritor may cast discern lies as a mundane effect a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier. For the purpose of this spell, the inheritor’s effective caster level is equal to his inheritor level.

An ambitious ancestor was concerned with the accumulation of personal/familial/dynastic power and achieved it during his lifetime. This is often an ancient emperor who founded a monarchy, a warlord who climbed to power on the backs of others, or even a man who established a powerful institute or organization (bank, guild, army, order, etc). An inheritor with an ambitious ancestor is pushed at every turn to seize power for himself.

Hereditary Ability Score: Charisma

Class Skills: Knowledge (nobility) and Knowledge (local)

Boons

Political Power: The inheritor gains an insight bonus on Knowledge (nobility) and Knowledge (local) checks equal to 1/4th his inheritor level (minimum +1).

Wild Ambition: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Charisma score.

Front of the Pack: The inheritor adds 2 + 1/4th his level on Initiative checks. This does not stack with any other bonuses to the inheritor’s Initiative.

Ambitious Opportunist: Attacks made against flanked creatures cause an extra 2 damage on a successful hit. This damage is multiplied on a critical hit.

Ambitious Instincts: The inheritor’s ancestor’s instinct for opportunities alerts the inheritor to unseen weaknesses in his own defenses. The inheritor gains the Uncanny Dodge class feature of the barbarian while he is channeling his ancestor.

A beloved ancestor is favorably remembered for their charm, force of personality, and/or political savvy. Many had cults of personality, fans, admirers, held celebrity status, and/or were icons of their day. The descendants of those who were beloved often inherit a bit of their charm and celebrity status.

Hereditary Ability Score: Charisma

Class Skills: Diplomacy and Perform

Boons

Wheeler and Dealer: The inheritor gains an insight bonus on Diplomacy and Perform checks equal to 1/4th his inheritor level (minimum +1)

Social Acumen: Treat all Charisma based skills as class skills for the inheritor.

Loved By All: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Charisma score. An inheritor may select this twice.

Spirit Raiser: Any morale bonuses to attack rolls, damage rolls, or skill checks provided by an ally to your allies within 30 feet of the inheritor increase their value by 1/4th the inheritor’s level (minimum +1).

Captivate the Masses: As a full round action you can captivate creatures in a fashion of your choosing by augmenting it with the demeanor of your ancestor. Creatures who fail a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 inheritor level + Charisma modifier) are fascinated until the end of their next turn. This if a mind-affecting effect. A creature who is affected by this effect cannot be affected again by it (or any other inheritor’s captivate the masses) for 24 hours.

Cult of Personality: Creatures who regard the inheritor indifferently (see the Diplomacy skill) treat him as if they were friendly toward him. In the same fashion creatures who are friendly towards him treat him in a helpful fashion. The Diplomacy DC, for changing the creature’s attitude, is still the same though they may react more friendly towards the inheritor. This does not extend to the inheritor’s allies and usually results in special treatment due to some je ne sais quoi that the inheritor possess.

A unifier is an ancestor who, through their actions, brought about unity from chaos. Sometimes they were warlords who conquered many tribes, a monarch who unified a broken kingdom or even a soother of a bloody rivalry that resulted in a union at the end. Their descendants are expected to preserve the unity brokered by their ancestor and act as a stabilizing influence. Unifiers shift generally of a lawful alignment.

Class Skills: Diplomacy and Sense Motive

Boons

Teamwork Feat: The inheritor gains a teamwork feat. He must otherwise meet all prerequisites of the feat. This boon may be selected as many times as he wishes.

Alliance Leader: All allies within 30 feet of the inheritor gain an insight bonus on Initiative checks equal to 1/4th his inheritor level. The inheritor gains this bonus himself as well, so long as he has at least 3 allies within 30 feet of him.

A liberator has freed a great number of people, been instrumental in a revolution, or caused a paradigm shift to improve the way an oppressed group is treated. They urge their inheritor to free the chained and stand up for the oppressed. Liberators were generally of a chaotic and/or good alignment.

Class Skills: Escape Artist and Disable Device

Boons

Bondshatter: Channelling the force of her libertine ancestor, the inheritor gains a bonus on Strength checks to burst bonds equal to her inheritor level. At 10th level she may instead deal bonds holding her 1d6 damage for every 2 levels of inheritor ignoring hardness. She may deal this damage to a grappling creature as a standard action, this damage is treated as bludgeoning, piercing and slashing.

Know Thy Own: The inheritor gains the ability to mimic the effects of detect chaos at will as a mundane effect.

Liberator of Men: The inheritor gains a bonus equal to 1/4th his inheritor level on all attacks against lawfully-aligned outsiders and creatures who willingly and dutifully engage in slavery or oppression of a minority group. This includes slavers, officials of a police state, kidnappers, etc.

Ancestors who are militaristic were often great generals, renowned warrior-kings, successful marauders, and/or the most brilliant military minds of their day. They earned their legendary status through military conquest and an unmatched history of success. They guide their inheritors to victory in battles, hoping to spare their descendant a gruesome fate. Militaristic ancestors generally had high physical and mental ability scores.

Class Skills: Perception and Heal

Boons

Military Mind: The inheritor gains a +1 to one physical ability score (Str, Dex, Con) and +1 to one mental ability score (Int, Wis, Cha). This boon may be selected up to three times, but he may never use this to improve the ability score more than once.

Ready for War: The inheritor becomes proficient with all martial weapons, with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and tower shields as well as 3 exotic weapons of his choice.

Military Acumen: The first time per day the inheritor fails to confirm a critical hit, it is instead automatically confirmed.

Most savage ancestors were barbaric warlords, influential tribal chiefs, or just bloodthirsty conquerors. They push their descendants to take rash, barbaric, actions that show off their pride and power. Savage ancestors were generally of an evil and/or chaotic alignment and had high Strength and/or Constitution scores.

Hereditary Ability Score: Charisma

Class Skills: Intimidate and Survival Boons

Savagery: The inheritor gains an insight bonus on Intimidate and Survival checks equal to 1/4 his inheritor level (minimum +1) and treats Intimidate and Survival as a class skill.

Savage Strength: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Strength score.

Savage Constitution: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Constitution score.

Savage Speed: The inheritor gains a +10 foot bonus to his base movement speed. This bonus improves to +20 when in combat.

Ready for War: The inheritor becomes proficient with all martial weapons, with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and tower shields as well as 3 exotic weapons of his choice.

A martyr is a famous ancestor who gave their lives for the greater good. They often ignite fervor and zeal in those who loved them. Their death is often symbolic of their cause and they expect those who carry their blood to continue their struggle. Martyrs were generally of a good alignment.

Hereditary Ability Score: Wisdom

Class Skills: Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (history)

Boons

History of the Cause: The inheritor gains an insight bonus on all Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (religion) checks equal to 1/4 his inheritor level (minimum +1).

Death and Rebirth: The inheritor automatically stabilizes on the round after they are dropped below 0 HP. In addition, they gain a +4 insight bonus on all saves against death effects.

Ignite Zeal (Su): If the inheritor is reduced below 0 HP by an enemy all allies gain a morale bonus equal to 1/4th his inheritor level (minimum +1) on attack and damage rolls for 1d4 rounds.

A legend went on a quest and came back a hero. This is often something imposed upon them by fate, the gods, or other powerful forces that they have no hope against. A challenger often pushes those of their bloodline to take overt heroic action over meek or subtle actions. They are particularly fond of quests and will always encourage their inheritors to partake in them. They were generally of good or neutral alignment.

Class Skills: Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Use Magic Device

Boons

Challenge the Gods: Compare the CR of the creature the inheritor attacks to his own character level. If the CR is higher, he gains twice the difference as a morale bonus to attack and damage rolls. The GM may modify the effective CR of the creature if the situation is either much harder (adding to the CR) or easier (lowering the CR) than is typical of the creature.

Ready for War: The inheritor becomes proficient with all martial weapons, with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and tower shields as well as 3 exotic weapons of his choice.

A bold ancestor is one who explored unknown areas despite great danger, took great risks that paid off wonderfully, or someone who knowingly exposed themselves to great danger for personal profit or power. A bold ancestor teaches their inheritor the value of risks and rewards while compelling them to act in a bold/proud manner in all things. Bold ancestors were often of chaotic alignments.

Class Skills: Knowledge (geography) and Knowledge (local)

Boons

Unchecked Pride: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Wisdom score.

Unchecked Intellect: The inheritor gains a +2 to his Intelligence score.

Even not while channeling them, an inheritor’s personality, alignment, and actions are shaped by the influence of his ancestor. An inheritor must make a Will save (DC 10 + inheritor level) in order to take an action in contradiction to the kind of actions their ancestor favors. While channeling his ancestor an inheritor simply cannot take actions opposed to the nature of his ancestor. The GM is the final arbiter of what constitutes an opposed action, though even simple things may be complicated by their ancestor’s influence.

Certain weapons just feel “right” to use. At 2nd level the inheritor selects a weapon (kukri, longsword, etc) that the inheritor’s ancestor was famous for using (or if none was famous, select one they utilized or that best represents them) and becomes proficient in it’s use if they are not already. At 5th level, the inheritor gains a +1 insight bonus on attack and damage rolls with it. At 8th level and every 3 levels thereafter the inheritor gains a further +1 bonus to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.

While an inheritor is a skilled martial fighter in his own right, his ancestor guides his actions. To that effect, at 3rd level the inheritor designates one of his mental ability scores (Int, Wis, or Cha) as his “Hereditary Ability Score”. This choice is suggested by the legacy class feature in some instances in the form of a bonus, but the choice is ultimately up to the player.

An inheritor adds 1/2 his hereditary ability score’s modifier to his AC as an insight bonus. This bonus to AC may not exceed 1/2 his inheritor level but provides a minimum of a +1 bonus.

At 9th level, the inheritor can substitute his hereditary ability score for his Strength score on melee attacks or his hereditary ability score for his Dexterity score on ranged attacks. This applies on attack rolls but not damage rolls.

At 15th level, rather than substitute his hereditary ability score for Strength and/or Dexterity he adds it in addition. This means a melee attack would add both his Strength and hereditary ability score’s modifiers to his attack rolls.

This ability functions at all times (both while the inheritor is channeling his ancestor and when he is not).

Starting at 3rd level, an inheritor learns to purge negative mental influences due to his mind being filled with the locked memories of his ancestor. The inheritor gains a +2 insight bonus on Will saves against mind-affecting effects, possession attempts, and other sorts of mental domination/control. This bonus improves by 2 at 6th levels and every 3 levels thereafter to a maximum of +12 at 18th level.

At 6th level, an inheritor can literally commune with his deceased ancestor. This functions as per the spell commune except that the inheritor contacts their ancestor rather than a deity. The inheritor’s effective caster level for this ability is equal to his inheritor level.

At 12th level, the information is more exact and can reflect any sort of special knowledge the ancestor might know. This allows this class feature to function as per divination with a 100% chance of being accurate to the best of the knowledge of the inheritor’s ancestor.

At 10th level, an inheritor’s ability to maintain a connection with his ancestor improves. He may sustain his ancestor for 10 minutes per inheritor level rather than 1 minute per inheritor level. At 15th level, an inheritor can sustain it for 1 hour per per inheritor level.

By 10th level, an inheritor can remain connected for a very long time. This time limit is very likely to outnumber the amount of time you will find yourself in combat so why can an inheritor remain connected for so long? An inheritor of 10th level is assumed to always have the capacity to channel his ancestor during combat but a number of his boons are non-combat related and may require prolonged use.

At 20th level, an inheritor becomes the very legend he channels. He can indefinitely channel his ancestor and may do so as a free action (rather than a swift). In addition, he automatically confirms any critical threats with his weapon of legacy.